Mulberry whimsy, abstract Ilincic end London Fashion Week

British brand Mulberry, famously known for its covetable bags, offered up a collection of sorbet-colored and floral-inspired outfits on the last day of London Fashion Week's spring/summer 2013 shows.

The collection saw Mulberry go back to its roots, taking inspiration from the rich florals of the English countryside, displaying clothes in delicate shades of peach, mint, and cream, embellished with detailed floral motifs.
Creative director Emma Hill revamped a 1970s silhouette using flowing dresses with low backs and tailored jackets, but introduced a sexy edge with bonded leather.

Outerwear was inspired by English country heritage, with models in military peacoats and boxy biker jackets over evening dresses in tan and black leather. Navy prints and jacquard textures, added the whimsical twist that the brand has become known for.

As always, all eyes were on the accessories as Mulberry debuted its Willow collection of bags and clutches, centered around a tote bag with floral prints and detailed petals added to Mulberry's signature postman lock.
"It's a great British brand. It's timeless pieces that just go with everything. There's such a variety of colors and styles, it's a brand that I just really love," British Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis told Reuters from the front row of the catwalk.

The show was held at London's Claridges Ballroom, which had been transformed into an English country garden, with pastel-colored garden gnomes and wheelbarrows dotted around, accompanied by lush floral hangings. Guests were treated to slices of angel cake and fruit juices.

ILINCIC

Designer Roksanda Ilincic offered a more abstract-inspired collection of elegant day dresses, skirts, and blouses with a modern graphic feel in the grand setting of the Savoy Hotel.

Sherbet lemons, burnt tangerines, and dusky pinks were paired with crisp whites, pale greys and cobalt blues to provide sharp color contrasts across the designer's spring/summer 2013 line.

Colorful tweed dresses, soft jersey maxi skirts and cute neck ties also featured, along with delicate ruffled details, chic cardigans and knitted pencils skirts.

Ilincic told Reuters she was inspired the work of two artists, Niki de Sainte Phalle and Josef Albers for her latest collection, comparing the differences between their work and their personalities.

"Like feminine and masculine, sportswear with eveningwear, something luxurious with something quite accessible and everyday, and it was a combination of everything really."

The designer said she liked to mix different things to create interesting opposites taking the color palette from Albers and the shapes of the clothes from Sainte Phalle.

"The color palette came from Josef Albers, and he's known for his minimal color combinations, which have lots of different shades of yellow, or white, honey color, mixed with black and blue," she added.

Meadham Kirchhoff presented a dramatically elaborate show entitled "A Cautionary Tale" which saw the catwalk decadently decorated with iced cakes, fresh floral bouquets and wallpapered screens printed with birds and flowers.

Models meandered down the runway in pieces adorned in rich textures and patterns, in hats or with flowers in their hair, and an abundance of ribbon and bows embellished over the majority of the collection.

Denim, satin, taffeta and tulle featured heavily across the line, as well as woven jacquards. Jackets, trousers and skirts were covered with ornate embroidery, beading and sequin detailing.

"I just wanted to create something that was really beautiful and only beautiful," designer Edward Meadham told Reuters after the show.

Meadham and his design partner Benjamin Kirchhoff, are famous for their highly creative and surreal shows and did not disappoint with a surreal production and their offering of flouncy patterned dresses, lace bloomers and plush full skirts paired with beaded trousers.

Mulberry delivers sweet and sassy London collection

The collection saw Mulberry go back to its roots, taking inspiration from the rich florals of the English countryside, displaying clothes in delicate shades of peach, mint, and cream, embellished with detailed floral motifs.

Creative director Emma Hill revamped a 1970s silhouette using flowing dresses with low backs and tailored jackets, but introduced a sexy edge with bonded leather. A poodle dog joined the models walking down the runway to lend a vibe of strolling through rural England.

Outerwear was inspired by English country heritage, with models in military peacoats and boxy biker jackets over evening dresses in tan and black leather. Navy prints and jacquard textures, added a twist of whimsy that the brand has become known for.
As always, all eyes were on the accessories as Mulberry debuted its Willow collection of bags and clutches, centered around a tote bag with floral prints and detailed petals added to the postman lock that has become a Mulberry signature.

Classic Mulberry bag collections were also given their own spring/summer 2013 editions, adding a floral motif on leather for the Del Rey named for singer Lana and on artisan woven silk jacquard for the Alexa (socialite Alexa Chung). Both namesakes were on the front row.

The star-studded front row also included supermodel Kate Moss, "Downton Abbey" stars and Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis.

"It's a great British brand. It's timeless pieces that just go with everything. There's such a variety of colours and styles, it's a brand that I just really love," Ennis told Reuters.

The show was held at London's Claridges Ballroom, which had been transformed into an English country garden, with pastel-colored garden gnomes and wheelbarrows dotted around, accompanied by lush floral hangings. Guests were treated to slices of angel cake and fruit juices.

"It was really cheerful but subtle, it felt like spring but in a quirky, original way," "Downton Abbey" actress Elizabeth McGovern told Reuters after the show, adding that designer Hill brought a "fabulous sense of pattern and cut" to the brand.

Modern ladylike elegance dominates London's catwalks

Printed silks, crisp cottons and embellished detailing appeared on the runways, indicating a move towards simple but modern elegance for the spring/summer 2013 collections.

Christopher Raeburn, Nicole Farhi and Margaret Howell opened the day with different shades of white which drew inspiration from marble quarries and 1950s escape maps.

Silky trench coats, structured day dresses and elegant separates made up the collection of Nicole Farhi, whose designs were inspired by the quarries of Carrara in Tuscany.

"The coloring comes from the marble mountain that you see at different times of the day. So you start with white, then greyishness and then at dawn, you get that pinky feeling," Farhi said.

Her collection featured crisp chalky whites, pale slate greys, tints of honey and almond, and faded washes of peachy sienna. Farhi said she wanted all her pieces to be structured, which is seen in the stiffness of the fabric, the origami folds of the dresses and pleated detailing.

Thin lines of beads were used to embellish, providing a twist upon a simple summer dress. Skirts with leather strips and slouchy knitted jumpers also made up the collection.

The ladylike trend continued at Temperley London, where organza, chiffon and silk dresses were tailored and adorned with intricate beading, delicate embroidery and lace cut-outs.

The collection titled "Return to Elegance" was an interpretation of the 1950s silhouette, with full flowing skirts in cool shades of pale blue, white, orange and navy. Accessories included round white-rimmed sunglasses and chic statement hats.
"I make clothes for beautiful women who know how to dress without trying to make a statement, and in a couple of years to come, they still like my dress," Temperley said backstage before her show.

The designer held her show in London's opulent Grand Connaught Rooms, with actress Anna Friel, singer Pixie Lott and model Tali Lennox in attendance.

Friel, a long-time fan of the designer, said "I think it's elegant, it makes me feel incredibly feminine. I'm a big vintage fan and I think a lot of the designs ... are timeless."
Temperley's creations are a favorite of Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge - Kate Middleton - but the designer was keen to be seen as more than a favorite of the royal.
CANDY-CANE STRIPES
"I don't like to be labeled to it, (the duchess) is a beautiful girl and there's lots of beautiful women that wear Temperley," the designer said.
Vivienne Westwood took a more quirky approach to ladylike elegance with a medley of beautifully tailored dresses, jackets and skirts with graphic floral prints, candy-cane striped shirts and cropped Capri pants.

Sleeveless silk dresses in mustard yellow, midnight blue and cherry red were paired with lace and broderie anglaise buckled boots.

Models sported bold cartoonish make-up, painted over their red, green and yellow faces, and 1950s-inspired hairstyles.
The end of the day saw Paul Smith's signature style of sharp tailoring, quirky details and bold pops of color.
Stripes, contrasting details and two-tone effects were spread across the collection on jackets, shirts, dresses and trousers.
The designer mixed materials such as lace with silk, creating a modern graphic cut-up look with bright optimistic colors and easy shapes to wear.
"I just wanted clothes that were easy to put on and easy to buy things, that you could add to your existing wardrobe," Smith said.
The big show of the night was a concert extravaganza for royal milliner Philip Treacy, who made his comeback after a 10-year hiatus.
The hat sculptor has gained a strong following in the fashion set with the likes of Lady Gaga, Sarah Jessica Parker and Grace Jones among his fans.
The designer paid tribute to the fallen with his new collection, dedicating it to late designers Isabella Blow, Alexander McQueen and pop star Michael Jackson.

Set against the dominant grandeur of the Royal Courts of Justice in London with Jackson's music playing, models wore stunning headpieces and Jackson's clothes, which are set to be auctioned off in Beverly Hills in December.

Treacy's creations ranged from horn-like structures, feathered curlicues and facial veils to a miniature fairground, Mickey Mouse ears and a yellow smiley face. Models wore iconic garments that documented Jackson's career, in black, red, gold and white.
The biggest pieces were left for the finale, with a spinning light headpiece and a full body cocoon decorated with lights.

London designers trawl Americana, tropical themes

Jeweled embellishments, ornate embroidery and tropical prints also made a strong appearance during the shows as designers embraced a lighter and more playful side for their latest women's wear spring/summer 2013 collections.

Spring was in the air at Jasper Conran's show, where walls were decorated with neon lights laid out in the shape of large flowers. Models walked barefoot onto the lush green catwalk, in embellished denim, broderie anglais and sequined dresses.

The collection was influenced by all aspects of Americana, Conran told Reuters, citing Janis Joplin, cowboy boots and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe as inspiration.

"I've done denim for the first time on the catwalk, so it starts quite sort of blues, and whites and silvers. And then it explodes."
"Everything has a reference back to Americana, so it's all logically done, with a healthy dose of illogicality," he added.
Hot pinks, mustard yellows, mossy greens punctuated the collection, which featured knitted crochet dresses, micro shorts, and floral-printed blouses.

The Americana theme continued further south at Holly Fulton's show, which was attended by British actress Gemma Atherton, and the International Herald Tribune's Suzy Menkes.

"I think Holly's designs are very easy to wear, and they're bold, so it still has this very fashion forward aspect without being too crazy," Atherton told Reuters.
Fulton did not disappoint her audience, sending down an explosion of flamingo pinks, aqua blues and zesty yellows.
Printed rose cut-outs were featured across the collection, sewn onto sweaters, stuck on PVC raincoats and laid over contrasting patterns.
Models sported messy braids, bright red-orange lips and oversized sunglasses. The collection follows the journey of a woman across West Coast America to Mexico and features art-deco inspired prints, appliqué and floral embroidery.
"I use a lot of silks as kind of bases for a lot of the pieces, because you get such a good representation of color for the print," Fulton told Reuters.

"It's quite an embellishment heavy collection. That's kind of how I started out and that's my first love, so it's been really amazing and I absolutely love this collection. I've had a brilliant time making it."

Tie-dyed rainbow leather pieces, jacquard separates and floaty floral dresses edged with lace made up the collection at Henry Holland.
The colorful collection also featured frilly details on cropped tops and dresses, gem embellishments and knitted separates.
Designer Daniella Helayel finished the day with an exciting tropical display of sleek dresses at Issa London, a favorite brand of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

Inspired by the Garden of Eden, models sported freshly cut orchids in their hair which was twisted into elaborate styles.

The collection featured an array of printed dresses and gowns, in tangy oranges, bright yellows and cobalt blues with lush imagery of tropical foliage, birds and flowers.

Jonathan Saunders: Disco Delightful

Saunders, a Scotsman who has made the U.K. capital his home, got his inspiration from the glory days of Disco, i.e., the late 70s, when he had been barely born in Glasgow. But he took the glitz and excess of the dance culture somewhere very new with a wonderful sense of edgy posh. He may create clothes with fabrics worthy of a diva, but Saunders cuts his silhouettes very lady like indeed.
"I wanted to capture the things I see in an Antonio Lopez Polaroids. Their drama, their intense colors," Saunders told FWD, referring to the legendary illustrator and chronicler of the Me Decade.

Using huge swirls, zigzags and twists of bold blocks of color and materials like neon sequins, metallic leathers and micro disk silk, Saunders created a collection that dazzled without ever falling into excess. It helps that his cuts are relatively restrained - slip dresses, almost prim tops and boyfriends' jackets. To keep it sexy, the Scotsman added in micro bras and large Disco Queen shades, yet the ensembles never looked stagey.

Saunders is creative and important in that he taps exuberance into cool panache: his women attract attention, but always admiringly. In a lesser designer's hands this would be a pastiche; in Saunders case it's a major new trend.

Staged Sunday evening, Sept. 16, in the bowels of Tate Modern, on the south bank of the Thames, the show was also London's best staged - a twisting angled catwalk, Kevlar walls before austere concrete columns and an ace soundtrack by Jean Noel Young.

"It was all this stuff I used to admire when I was kid, but could never afford. And I was born in 1977. That and the way Michael Clark dancers would arch their backs," the designer added, referring to the famed Scottish choreographer.

So, after presenting London's best menswear collection in June, Saunders has presented the most telling women's show in September. He is on something of a roll.

Christopher Kane puts nuts and bolts on the runway

American Vogue editor Anna Wintour was joined by British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife Samantha along with trendy London socialites Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe to watch models with slicked-back ponytails and spiked shoes strut down a runway decked out with a silver hologram.

Kane's looks varied from boxy white jackets, candy-colored pleated dresses held together with nuts and bolts, and tailored dresses in white, canary yellow and muted neutral prints embellished with bows, detailed beading and masking tape.

The designer revamped his trademark bandage dress using plastic ruffles and nipped-in waists, added floaty skirts to draped dresses and kept accessories minimal, with models wearing matching shoes in neutral shades, detailed with spikes, spirals, nuts and bolts.

"It's such extraordinary sophistication combined with absolute creative brilliance, it's so out of the box the way he is thinking, and it was just incredible, and I think that's increasingly what London is becoming known for," Lucy Yeomans, editor-in-chief of retail site Net-A-Porter.com, told Reuters after the show.

Scottish designer Kane, 30, has become a staple of British fashion after debuting his own label in 2006, gaining recognition for his creativity with color (using solely neon hues for his first collection) and shapes, presenting bold and vibrant creations.

His talent has won him a consulting spot at Versace and he has also designed collections for Atelier Swarovski.

Rainbow metallics reign supreme at Burberry show

Models strode the catwalk in corsets, pencil skirts and sleek silk dresses in raspberry pinks, emerald greens and sapphire blues, laced with a metallic edge.

Trench coats, a Burberry staple which reaches back to the company's foundation, appeared in a variety of different forms. Classic styles were covered in colored metallic lace, capes came in both long and short versions and cropped jackets came with boxy shoulders and slim silhouettes.

The collection was inspired by Norman Parkinson photographs from the 1940s and 50s, Bailey said.

Burberry's chief creative officer said he looked into the archives for inspiration, where he found corsets and capes the brand had produced in the early 1900s, and combined the elements to create his latest collection.

"The collection was a bit more joyful and quite sassy and a bit sexy," Bailey told reporters backstage.

"It's about taking those kind of authentic signature DNA elements from what Burberry is about, our heritage and our history. But then making them, of the moment and kind of giving them a spirit."

Burberry held three events to celebrate their latest collection, which incorporated live video streaming and social media across the world to its fans.

"We were kind of looking at it in three different ways and we did different messaging for each different audience and community but they all were part of the same energy," Bailey said.

"Fashion is also about entertainment and people are intrigued and excited about fashion and I think when you do a show, it's kind of a perfect opportunity for people to feel your brand and your image and kind of these ideas, music, lights and beautiful girls."

The star-studded event was attended by U.S. Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, tennis player Andy Murray and burlesque performer Dita von Teese.

"The coats are always one of my favorite things, but I'm really loving all the accessories right now too," she told Reuters. "When Christopher swings towards my direction and does retro, I always find myself in the store buying important pieces to have in my wardrobe."

The designer addressed concerns over Burberry's future following the company's profit warning last week that had many investors worried about a slowdown in the luxury market.
"I'm not going to pretend it's not challenging out there but I think what's important is that we stay very true to our DNA, to our heritage but also excite people,"